Is my weight a factor in why I can't get pregnant?

Question

My husband and I have been married for six years now and we are finally ready for kids. I am 27 years old and got off the pill last April 06. I have not been able to get pregnant and its rather frustrating. I am over weight, but have seen bigger women who are pregnant. I have been told to lose weight and it will happen. Last year I lost 15 llbs but was on a plateau. I don't get a period very often. I have not had one since January. Anyone in simalar situations.

Answer 1

There could be several factors involved in your difficulties - both your weight and also your being on the pill for so long. There are still studies being done on the long term effects of using hormonal birth control, and infertility is being seriously looked at.

But it might only be a temporary thing as your body adjusts to having regular cycles again. You might want to continue a slow and steady weight loss plan and see if that brings your cycles to a more regular pattern. You should be ovulating/having a period every month or so.

Anovulatory cycles (what you are experiencing) are covered in a great book I found called "Fertility Cycles and Nutrition" by Marilyn Shannon. You might check it out or buy it and I'm sure it would be useful to you.

The issue of weight is also covered in that book, and yes weight can affect a woman's ability to conceive, for several reasons including the fact that too much body fat contributes to elevated levels of estrogen which in turn decreases corpus luteal function.

You might also get your thyroid checked and see if you might have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Shannon's book covers those issues too.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

Howdy! Similar situations. Although I'm extremely obese, my doctor says that my weight has nothing to do with getting prego. Big girls can get prego too!! Keep trying!!!

It could just be your hormones all outta whack. My doctor explained to me that losing 10 - 20 pounds is often enough to get the hormones back on track and get your ovulation kick started. I had a daughter almost 3 years ago. If this will be your first -- there's a couple of things you can do to ensure you're ovulating...

1.) Start a basal chart. You record your temperature (using a special thermometer - cheap at walgreens) every morning BEFORE you get out of bed. You can download charts off of the internet or you can ask your doctor for one. After you've recorded your temperature readings for at least 2 months, you should see a pattern developing. You and/or your doctor should be able to tell from that if you're ovulating or not.

2.) Work on losing 10 - 20 pounds. It's not easy, but my doctor said even losing just 10 pounds will help kick start the ol' hormones and level things back out. That's where I am currently. My periods got all crazy just as we were ready to get pregnant again. For the last year, I've only had 4 periods. But since we know that the "equipment" is working, my doctor says I need to lose a little bit of weight to get things back under control.

...My doctor thinks I'm partially suffering from PCOS (http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pcos.htm#a). Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a health problem that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, ability to have children, hormones, heart, blood vessels, insulin levels, and appearance. I'm taking Metformin to control that. After starting Metformin, I got prego immediately (not all results are the same, I guess we were lucky!). Doc took me off the meds at 10 wks.

Hope some of this info helps. Good luck!!! I know what it's like to want a baby so bad it makes you hurt inside.

Answer 3

My suggestion is to speak to a doctor about your problem. If you don't get your period that often, there is something to be said of that. Although weight can be a contributing factor in getting or not getting pregnant, you may also have some other health issues. I don't know about your local hospital, but at ours we have a gym fully staffed with dieticians, instructors, consultants, etc. Your doctor could point you in the right direction to speak with a consultant about your weight and a plan that works best for you. Being overweight just isn't a health lifestyle (no offense) and you should be at your healthiest before you conceive in order to have the healthiest baby possible. Good luck! I hope it all works out for you!

Answer 4

Last year I weighed 194 pounds and I am 5 feet tall. My husband and I tried to get pregnant for a year and a half and didn't get pregnant until I went on a diet and lost 40 pounds. As soon as I hit the 40 pound mark I got pregnant. My doctor believes that I was able to get pregnant because I lost weight. It could be the problem and it may not. I have a very close friend who is very overweight and she gets pregnant VERY easy. That made me not want to believe that my weight had something to do with it. It was hard, but SO worth it. You can do it and you will be SO happy with how you look and feel! Good luck!!

Answer 5

If you are overweight there are a few reasons for concern. The things you eat could make your internal lubricatin unsuitable for the sperm to survive. Nothing against you, but certain foods can change the pH in your body.

Also, overweight women are more prone to get a disease called PCOS(D) or PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome(Disease)...It's when your ovaries do not release the egg every month (lazy ovary) and in turn the unburst egg can form into a tumor. Not trying to scare you, not everyone with PCOS have ovarian tumors...it's just a possibility. PCOS is directly related to insulin retention. Infertility is a direct result. Women with PCOS have irregular periods or NO period at all. Other symptoms are that they have abnormal hair growth (face, chest) or male pattern balding, as well as adult acne. I'm not saying this is what you have but it could be a factor. You should see your OBGYN and ask if PCOS could be a possibility.

Or you just need more time. =) Good luck...

Answer 6

If you have been taking the pill for an extended period of time, that will cause more of a reason for not getting pregnant than weight. You need to give it time, to let all the artificial hormones to leave the body. Loosing weight is just for your own benefit. Because once you get pregnant you need to gain a minimum of 15lbs for the baby's well-being. Also if you don't get regular periods, than you will not be getting regular ovulations. You might need to see your doctor to help you determine that there is no other issues. But don't worry about the weight, heavy women get pregnant all the time. Also stress and other issues could cause you not to have a period. I went through a divorce once and only got my period 3 times out of the whole year, I thought I was going through early menopause but once I got a grip on my life, my period came back regular. I recommend seeing a doctor for a good evaluation.

Answer 7

I would say the not getting your period very often is more of a problem rather than the weight issue. I am overweight an had more of a problem conceiving my last 2 compared to my first when I wasn't overweight. I think the problems lies more with if you are healthy or not. You can be overweight and still be healthy. I was told to start taking prenatal vitamins when I was trying just to add that little extra help in making sure I had the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Good luck.

Answer 8

It has been said that people who are over weight have a little more trouble ttc. But don't let this discourage you. How long were you on the pill for. because for the average couple who wasn't one birthcontrol it can take up to a year ttc. when the time is right it WILL happen but in the mean time have fun. And it wouldn't be a bad idea to go to your gyn. and get checked to make sure your in excellent working condition down there and your husband should get checked too. If your husband is fine and you are fine. try asking your gyn. about clomid it's a medcation that helps women to ovulate more often increasing thier chances of getting pregnant sooner. I wish you luck and don't loose hope.

Answer 9

Sounds like something called Poly Cystic Ovaries Syndrome.

It's highlighted by lack of periods, centeral weight gain, inablity to lose weight, and the issue of infertility.

Suggestion, find a dr who specializes in infertility issues, particularly a Reproductive Endocinologist.

And dont listen to that garbage, it'll happen when your ready or when you least expect it, or stop trying it'll happen.

Get in now, dont let anyone stop you. You could be facing a very long and uphill battle.

I have pcos my self. I was diagnosed at the age of 25. I finally gave up on trying to have children and just enjoy my 3 kids that my husband has. They are wonderful.

ps it could also be your husband but from the sounds of it, big possiblity of pcos

Answer 10

You may have problems with fertility due to hormonal imbalance, which could be worse if you are overweight. Fat cells produce estrogen, so if you already have irregular or infrequent periods, which suggests a low production of progesterone (which regulates ovulation and periods), being overweight could be adding to the imbalance.

Many fertility and other problems can be treated using natural progesterone (identical to that produced by your body, NOT a synthetic progestin) in a cream you apply to your skin. This is considered an alternative treatment, so a normal doctor would not be likely to recommend its use. If you are interested in trying it, find a natural practitioner or herbalist who can test your saliva for hormone levels and suggest whether natural progesterone would help to balance your hormones. Best wishes.

p.s. Don't forget to have hubby get a sperm count, just so you can rule out if he has any fertility problems. A high percentage of infertility can be attributed to male fertility issues.